Ace in Wonderland
by MaskedPyro
Summary: It was a simple day. Everything was normal. Until I found Sabo's hat. Obviously I'd fix it up. It was my brothers after all. But... Was that a mistake? Now I'm in something that's almost impossible to explain but there's one thing that keeps being mentioned. The hat. What does my brothers hat have to do with any of this? That's what I intend to find out. (Language. OOC Ace.)


Chapter 1: A Casual Day with a Different End

My day started like normal. Woke up, complained about how early it was and fell back asleep for another few hours only to be obnoxiously awoken by one of my brothers. I couldn't be angry though. Never for long at least. The longest I've been mad at them was about two days. Even with a photographic memory, I can't remember what it was for. All I know is that it was pointless and just a stupid prank. As annoying as they can be, they're still my family.

I brushed my teeth and looked at my reflection for a few minutes in my bathrooms small mirror above the wooden sink. After a few minutes, I decided to leave my hair as it was when I woke up. It wasn't that messy, but it would have been a hassle to comb it out. Now that I think about it, I don't know why I do that every day. But, for some reason, I do and it has strangely become routine.

After this, I go to the mess hall and sit at my usual table with Marco and Thatch. Sometimes Thatch isn't there but that's because he's the head chef on the ship. Very rarely Marco won't be there because of paperwork but he's always up early so he's usually there. Some days, there's more people than usual with us. It's oftentimes Haruta planning a prank with Thatch or a random crew member – sorry, sibling – telling Marco what they need from the next island.

Marco's the first mate and considered the oldest brother even though some of our siblings are older. He's also considered the most trustworthy which is why he always gets to go to whatever island we land on. We're kind of a big crew and pretty noticeable so it's best if not all of us go. Usually about ten or fifteen out of the… How many people are in the crew? I know it's over a thousand but I can't remember an actual number. I tried to count once but I counted the same head about six times so I just gave up. Either way, we're Whitebeard Pirates. The biggest pirate crew and family on the seas. We also happen to be the strongest which is why the Marines are constantly hunting us down and why only a few people can go on land at a time.

But as I was saying. After breakfast, I do whatever chores I have for the day then take a nap before doing any paperwork. The crew is so big it's split into sixteen divisions and I happen to be the second divisions commander. How I got my position was kind of weird. I didn't start at the bottom then slowly rank up. I actually joined only a few months ago. I was put in the second division and Oyaji – the captain – along with the other division commanders thought I would fit well as a commander. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty proud of my position but it usually comes with a lot of paperwork.

After the paperwork is done, it's usually already after noon and I just do whatever I feel like. Sometimes it's sketching, reading, or walking around the ship and yet there's some times where I help Thatch with a prank. He always questions how my plans and ideas work so well and how I come up with them. It almost makes me laugh how nobody has figured it out yet.

Not meaning to brag but I'm a child genius. I always have been. I'm eighteen, nineteen in a few months, and yet I'm smarter than half the people on this ship. Combined! Though that's not much to say seeing as how a man in my division got his hand stuck in a pickle jar for three hours yesterday. It was because of a stupid bet too. These are the kinds of things you find out because of paperwork which is mostly reports about the days events and who needs what.

When I was younger, I would act stupid simply because it was fun not being the smart one. Sabo… He gladly took up that position. I'm not sure if he figured it out or not how smart I was but he never said anything. We were children. We were supposed to be stupid and innocent. But we weren't. Only Luffy was and that didn't last as long as we would have liked. So much bullshit happened and it only ended when he died. Sabo died – or rather, was killed – when he tried to run away from his parents after protecting me and Luffy… After that, I was forced to be the smart one again after a little less than five years. Either way I was the oldest, but now I had someone to look out for.

I have a brother complex – I'm not the first nor last to say it – but it's understandable after losing one brother and the other being a complete idiot. I'm speaking lightly when talking about Luffy being an idiot. I mean come on. He was eaten by crocodiles three times. On separate accounts! This is _light_ compared to some of the other crazy and stupid things he's done but I'm not going into that. All I can say is, a ten year-old should not have to worry about dying from a heart attack that often. The amount of heart attacks and panic attacks I've had because of him goes into the high double digits. Not near the triple digits but still pretty high considering I knew him for seven years.

Around sunset, I have dinner on deck as I watch the sun sink into the ocean. I sometimes laugh at it because of the irony. I ate the Mera Mera no Mi last year and became a fire man because of it. My body is entirely fire. Just like the sun. The only difference, when the sun sinks into the ocean at the end of the day, it'll come back the next morning on the other side of the world. But I won't. If I fall in, I won't be able to come up on my own. The disadvantages of being a Devil Fruit user; never being able to swim again and being weak in water. Kinda sucks, huh? But it's worth it for the ability to protect my family.

After dinner I go to my room and while everyone thinks I'm sleeping, I'm actually working on whatever project came to mind that day. I don't know exactly how many things I've made but I'm pretty sure it's near three hundred. They're mostly blueprints and ideas, rarely a physical creation. It's gotten to the point where I can't have anything in my room anymore. Luckily, towards the back of the lower deck of the ship, there's a few empty rooms that I've claimed and turned into one without anyone knowing. I usually sketch out something and by the time it's done, it's near midnight.

Every night, the last person to go to their quarters is Marco or Oyaji. Marco likes to wander. He enjoys the quiet and usually takes up the first shift of night watch while doing whatever paperwork he might still have. Oyaji usually likes to sit in his chair towards the back of the ship and enjoy the night sky and sea breeze with the soft sound of the waves crashing against the hull which seems to get louder at night. He's the only one that knows about my nightly ventures but that's only because I need to go pass his chair to get to my workshop. I know how to avoid Marco's gaze but I can never get past Oyaji. It's not exactly me trying to pass him anymore. It's more of a game. I like to believe if I can miss his gaze then I can get past anything. It's kinda stupid but it's fun. When he catches me, he doesn't do anything. Just asks what I'm working on today. I usually smile and give him a summary. He's also the only one that knows how smart I am and who I'm related to. He told me once that I must have got my brains from my mom since, even if he was King of the Pirates, my dad was kind of a dumbass. He enjoys when I tell him what I'm doing. He says it's the only time I can show my true child-like excitement and curiosity on whether it'll work or not. He always wants me to show him my finished projects. Usually they sound complex but they aren't. They're pretty simple. I love making him laugh when he realizes I tricked him again. I'll explain some outrageous contraption and end up showing him something as simple as a blender. He laughs every time and I always end up with a massive smile almost like my little brothers.

I work on whatever my project is until three or four in the morning before actually going to bed and restarting everything somewhere between seven and ten. It's my daily schedule and doesn't change unless I get to go to an island in which I do my paperwork then go only to come back just before dinner.

Much like Marco, I always go to the islands. Just, in secret. I go out after everyone else and come back before them with whatever I need. I make sure I get back before Marco otherwise I risk having to explain why I was out and why I have what I have. Oyaji knows I need to get new materials for my projects otherwise I end up using the spare wood we have to repair the ship. Yeah… It wasn't fun explaining to the shipwrights how twenty-three pounds of wood vanished… In the end, I thought of a dozen excuses and ended up using the worst one. _"I got in a few fights and had to fix the ship up…"_ Yeah… Not the best excuse seeing as how it seemed to depress everyone... What can I say though? I didn't want anyone to know what I was doing or who I was or what I was like. As far as they know, I'm just another guy with slight anger issues and a brother complex. They don't need to know more. They're my family, but not all families know every little thing about each other.

Today though… It was different. Marco wasn't at breakfast and I was told to take it to him. When I knocked on his door, he didn't answer. After a little while I opened the door and found him at his desk with his face buried in his paperwork. His eyes had dark bags under them showing he'd been awake all night. I walked up to him and gently put his breakfast in front of him, telling him to "Get it while it's hot." He just groaned. Typical. Should have known not to talk to him after an all-nighter. I remembered overhearing the navigators talking about an island in view and now that I think about it, I think I saw it on my way here. I told him about the island and he just groaned again before dropping his head onto his desk with a hard _thud_. He would have landed in his food if I hadn't moved it fast enough. Sorry Marco but me face-planting into my own food is enough. Damn narcolepsy…

After a few minutes, it was pretty obvious Marco wouldn't be able to go either so he could sleep or so he could finish up his work. Hopefully it would be the latter because if he was still working in an hour I was going to put him in a forced rest if you know what I mean. When he sat back up, he stated the obvious and asked me to tell Oyaji to send someone instead of him. With a simple nod I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me.

As I made my way to Oyaji, I started to think about if I needed anything for the island. Probably new tools… I know I need a new hammer, screwdriver, and wrench. Maybe a new drill…? Definitely some plywood and a few sheets of metal. Damn… That's gonna cost a lot. Hopefully I won't have to turn myself in to the Marines again then break out just for the bounty. Wait… Didn't it rise? Oh yeah. Five hundred and fifty million beri now.

Without even realizing, I was already next to Oyaji. His voice asking "What is it son" is actually what brought me out of my thoughts. I told him about Marco and how he wasn't able to go to the island. Oyaji nodded before smiling down at me. Uh oh… He had that look in his eye… That look that said he had an idea. Most people think that look in Thatch's or my own eyes is the worst but Oyaji's ideas can be far worse and easily terrifying…

"How about you go in his stead?"

I'm sorry… What? I looked at him in mild shock and surprise as he continued to grin at me. Now I get it. That look he had was him thinking it would be easier to go rather than sneak out. How did I not think of that? I couldn't help but mentally sigh as I added another tally to my mental score bored of how much Lu's stupidity has affected me. Outwardly though, I smiled and nodded. My eyes sending a silent thanks that he welcomed with a slightly bigger grin.

I ran off and grabbed my usual white and green bag and put my favorite hat on my head. It was an orange cowboy hat with red beads at the base that held two medallions; a grinning one and a frowning one. Lu got it for me for my seventeenth birthday before I set out. He said since he had a special hat and Sabo had a special hat, I needed one. I don't know why he chose this one specifically but I have to admit, it fits. It's gotten to the point where if someone sees my hat, they know it's me. Much like how I would find Luffy when we lived in Goa. Straw hats actually stand out very well against the dense green shrubbery of a jungle.

When I stepped back on deck, I could actually see the island much more clearly. It seemed like a pretty populated place judging by all the cities covering the island. Though, there was also a forest and a few mountains. They didn't seem to be as big as Mount Corvo back home but still pretty big.

I looked around and saw the people that were going to shore with me already gathered at the railing. I smiled and ran over before jumping onto my personal skiff, Striker. It's a simple, single-man boat powered by my Devil Fruit ability. It was one of my projects that I spent all night making. I waited until we were at an island before I showed it to anyone so I could say I bought it rather than made it.

I smirked as I watched the eight of them board two row boats. They all seemed somewhat upset that I had such an easy ride and didn't have to wait for anyone. Though I might have been a bit of an ass when I started going around and doing stupid stunts while yelling at them to hurry up. After a minute, give or take thirty seconds, they told me to go on ahead. Without a second thought, I took off towards the island. I came ashore within an easy five minutes and watched as the others were still a ways out. I waved with a smile to them and faintly saw three hands rise and flip me off. I pouted a small childish pout that I used to use as a child – and still use rarely – to get things for free or at least for a discount. The fact that I have freckles and a somewhat childish face usually helps as well. When I saw two more hands raise and give the same gesture – though everyone was smiling in amusement – I merely smiled again and ran further in land.

The first city was actually bigger than it looked before. All the stores were painted a variety of colors. A blue clothing shop sat inches away from a yellow flower shop as the male and female owners chatted away in their own peace of mind. It was easy to tell they were the owners seeing as how the man mostly in front of the clothing shop was wearing a navy blue pin-stripe suit and a matching fedora which sat on his blond hair. The exact same outfit as one of the mannequins. The woman in front of the flower shop had a dress with a simple floral pattern and a fresh crown of daisies placed gently on her head which stood out against her dark hair and seemed to brighten her dress. Curse my perfect memory and all those days Izo dragged me into his room and "taught" me fashion lessons.

I sighed as I ran through my mental list of what everyone wanted and quickly remembered the deal I made with Izo two weeks prior. He stops his "lessons" as long as I get a kimono for him that proved that his so-called lessons were "doing any good on my fashion disabled mind." He's really a nice guy but sometimes he can be a total ass when he wants to be.

I walked up to the blue clothing store and was greeted by the blond owner in the suit. He was a very cheerful man. Almost too cheerful. He seemed to have a child-like excitement even though he was probably in his mid to late twenties. I mentally chuckled as I thought about how Lu would probably be far worse than this man when he got to be this man's age. I asked the man it he had any kimono's and he seemed to frown in thought. He quickly became sincere as he sadly told me he didn't carry anything as traditional as a kimono. He seemed to think for a moment before deciding aloud to start selling kimonos in the near future. I couldn't help but smile at the man before thanking him anyways and walking down the street.

Before I could get far, the florist stopped me with a gentle smile. She asked who the lovely lady was that I was getting a kimono for. I could almost feel my cheeks heat up and by the woman's soft laughter, my face was most likely a nice shade of red. I could hear myself stutter a reply, stating that it was for a friend and nothing more than a simple agreement. She didn't question it but instead asked what kind of flowers they liked. I quickly recalled that almost every kimono Izo had ever owned had some kind of flower but I never asked what kind. Looking around the shop, I found a few that looked like them but finally set my eyes on a small plant. A small cherry blossom tree that seemed just a few months old. It had a few small blossoms already on it and instantly thought it was perfect. All I needed was an excuse as to why I should get them… Wait… Izo's birthday was coming up in a week or so right? Perfect.

I told the florist that the small sapling would be perfect and – to my surprise – she handed it to me without asking for money. Before I could ask why I didn't have to pay, she simply smiled and stated that they were on the house. I tried to give her at least something but she pushed it away and told me to spend my money on a nice kimono instead. I guess she overheard. I let out a small laugh and nodded my thanks before walking away.

Walking down the street, I caught quite a few people glancing at me and heard a few people muttering about the cherry blossoms. Sorry people but when the streets are dead silent, a whisper is like a scream. It _will_ be heard whether you want it to or not. Ignoring them, I kept walking and found quite a few shops that held what I needed and what the rest of the crew needed. I decided to get my own materials last since I kept running into people from the ship.

While wandering, I found a hat shop. The hats in the window seemed pretty strange but I guess that's what you get from a place called 'The Mad Hatter'. I don't know what possessed me to walk in. The further in I went, the stranger the hats became. Eventually, they stopped. It was almost as if there was a line about ten feet from the back that stopped the hats from continuing to the back wall of the shop. But in that emptiness, I found it. Nothing I thought I would ever be searching for. A simple looking hat. A black hat. A black top hat with a blue band around the base. A hat exactly like Sabo's own…

My hand unconsciously raised to my left bicep where a specific tattoo was. ASCE it spelled in all caps though the 'S' was crossed out. It wasn't a misspelling like everyone thought. Far from that actually. It was very much intended. The crossed out 'S' was Sabo's symbol. The symbol on his black flag when he set out to sea and was shot and killed before even reaching open water. I didn't get my name tattooed onto my arm because I couldn't remember it – why did people think that? – but rather it was a tribute. This way I always had Sabo with me and people would know who I was. It even got into one of my bounty posters so everyone knows it for the most part.

Without realizing, I reached out towards the hat. For the second time that day, it was a voice that brought me out of my thoughts. I looked at the man and had to suppress a glare. The man looked like a noble. He had the whole suit and tie get-up and wore a matching top hat. He even had a mustache much like Sabo's dad did. I wanted to burn him for that reason alone but knew I couldn't start a scene especially since all he did was welcome me. Don't want to make those rumors about Oyaji and the others true.

I turned to the clerk and – mustering all my kindness and remembering my lessons on being polite – I greeted him and asked about the hat. I raised an eyebrow as he explained how the past owners had vanished after the original owner was killed. Now, I believe in strange twists of fate but this one couldn't be possible. I asked if he knew who owned it originally and he told me something I couldn't believe I heard. _"Some noble kid from Dawn Island in the East Blue."_

"Sabo…" I heard myself mutter. The man looked at me curiously as he hadn't heard what I said. Instantly, I asked if there was anything with the hat. To my surprise, he nodded and walked away. After a minute, he came back and my eyes widened, my breath hitched in my throat and I could feel a few tears starting to well up. I didn't care much as a single tear gently glided down my freckled cheeks and down my somewhat slacked jaw before falling to the ground with a silent splash. A pair of goggles. _His_ goggles. _Sabo's goggles_. The ones that never left the base of his beloved top hat and hid a majority of the blue ribbon.

Without an ounce of hesitation, I told the man I'd buy the two accessories and took out my money. The store owner looked worried. Before I could ask what was wrong, he told me what I didn't want to hear.

"It's not for sale."

Everything froze at that moment. When time came back to me, I only saw red. Without a single care, I started to shout at him. Asking why I couldn't buy them and why he would even have them out in the store if they weren't for sale. His explanation – more like a stupid excuse – was that he didn't want my disappearance on his hands. He continued on about the hat being cursed, that all owners are never heard from again and that tragedy and death strike wherever the hat is.

I didn't listen. I was too busy trying to contain the raging inferno that wanted to start because of my anger and annoyance. Apparently a few flames slipped out as I heard the man shut his trap and stare at me in fear. I could feel the death glare I was sending him and could now see a few sparks of fire that were dangerously licking at my shoulders in thin layers. I didn't even attempt to calm myself down before I spoke again. I simply told the man that both possessions used to belong to my brother and that I wanted them back with me.

I saw understanding pass his face underneath that thick layer of fear. Quickly, he grabbed the hat and placed the hat and goggles into my hands. As soon as I was touching them, the flames receded and vanished underneath my skin while my glare turned into a soft and saddened smile. I was so focused on what was just handed over that I didn't realize I had walked out without paying. Oh well. The service was bad anyways. I mean really. What kind of store owner puts something out and doesn't want to sell it? So-called curse or not, it's still merchandise.

I sat on a bench down the street and looked closely at the hat. I couldn't help but chuckle lightly. You could see a faint color difference where the goggles used to be placed. I clipped the eyewear onto the base of the top hat and readjusted them so they were perfectly covering the color difference. Looking at the hat in total made me frown. One lens was cracked perfectly in half, the band of the goggles had a rip that almost went all the way through, the hat and goggles had some water damage and the hat itself had a few holes in it with charred edges. Dogra did say Sabo's boat was shot and caught fire… I took in a deep breath before releasing it so I could calm down and stop the small tears I felt forming again.

I set Sabo's hat barely an inch away from me as I checked over what I bought and what everyone back on the Moby Dick wanted. Though it was mostly alcohol, it was still hard to get the right ones. Oyaji liked sake and wasn't very picky as long as it was one of his top fifteen. He had a list numbering sixteen to a hundred and ninety-eight though. That was the hard part. Marco liked straight vodka shots, though nobody other than me and the cooks knew. Jozu liked whiskey though he couldn't handle much liquor. Thatch loved the so-called "fancy" drinks since it – and I quote – "Let his creativity flow and be presented as something both delicious to the eyes and the tastes." In other words, he was a girly drink kind of guy. Pina Coladas, Sex on the Beach, Martini's, etc. Always the fancy, fruity drinks. He usually drinks when everyone else is drunk since he would often get laughed at and mocked. A lot of people said even Haruta had a manlier taste in alcohol. What they don't realize, is the fact that Haruta – though small – can drink almost as much as Oyaji. She loved to prove that when she got to go on land. She'd often be in drinking contests and actually finished the other contestants' drinks a few times. Then there was Izo. I swear that man has the likes and dislikes of a teenager. He's obsessed with one thing for a week then the next he despises it. All I can muster from him is that he will never say no to red wine that's aged above a hundred and six years. He says the extra six years causes a great difference in taste. I'll never understand that. All wine tastes like fruit juice mixed with some strange type of vodka…

Positive I got everything I was supposed to – and more – I fondly grabbed the hat next to me and made sure the cherry blossom tree sapling was still uninjured. I was pleased – and slightly surprised – to find that one of the buds had already started to open in the few hours I had it. I stopped for a moment and thought. Had it really already been three and a half hours? I guess I had a good time if the saying is true. Time flies when you're having fun, right?

I smiled and walked back to the docks before jumping on Striker and heading back to the ship – noting that the others were still on land depending on the fact that the row boats were still there. I quickly jumped onto the ship I called home and tied up my skiff. As soon as that was done, I walked to my room and gently sat Sabo's hat on my bed with the goggles watching the door. With a quick whispered "Watch over my room Sabo", I walked out of my room and closed the door behind me. I walked down the hall and knocked on the door to Izo's room. He always welcomed company but preferred they knock first. Something about an embarrassing moment he would never forget and always blushed while shuddering at the thought of it. He was a strange guy.

The door opened a few seconds after my second knock and out came our favorite geisha. His hair was tied up like usual and his make-up just right – I saw a few mishaps here and there but wouldn't dare mention them for risk of having to wait an hour to get down to what I came for. I saw he was wearing his favorite kimono and smiled when I saw the petals at the bottom that seemed to dance with his elegant movements.

"You didn't come to stare did you?" That's the phrase that brought me back to reality. That's the third time today! I need to focus more. I shook my head as a silent way of saying 'no' before explaining that they didn't sell kimonos on the island. Izo pouted at that fact and I took that moment to show him the baby tree. He looked at the flowers in shock before smiling and taking the plant. He placed it on the windowsill before coming back to the door and hugging me, repeating his thanks multiple times. I told him I remembered his birthday was in a week and I couldn't pass up the perfect gift. He seemed to grow happier that I remembered and hugged me again. After a short while, he let go of me with a barely noticeable blush. He coughed lightly into his fist to clear his throat before returning to his usual self. He placed a hand on his stuck out hip and looked me in the eyes saying that the plant – though a wonderful gift – would not make up for the kimono we agreed on. I nodded in understanding, never intending for the plant to be a replacement gift. We talked for a few minutes longer until I had to go and give everyone what they asked for.

When I had nothing left in my arms and had made sure Marco was still sleeping, I went back to the edge of the ship and jumped on Striker. I untied and made my way back to land to get the parts and tools I needed for my latest project. As soon as I got to the docks, I quickly tied up Striker and sprinted to the supply store, using my flames on the bottoms of my feet to help give me a boost of speed. This was normally how I snuck around on land so I wouldn't get caught. It was just fast enough that I would seem to vanish and reappear somewhere far off but slow enough that there wasn't a sonic boom or too much of a gust of wind that followed. With this simple effect, I went virtually unnoticed. Though I once made the mistake of crossing Marco by accident and he nearly caught me. Thankfully he didn't. I'd rather he not drag me back to the ship like I was a child in trouble with mom…

Almost instantly I was at the necessary store and walked in. I grabbed a new tool box and a fresh set of tools for a good price. After that, I grabbed the wood and metal. As I was walking back to the docks to get back to the ship, I found an art store. I couldn't think of any projects that would need painting any time soon but better be safe than sorry.

I walked in and went straight to the paints. I recalled my exact plans on how I wanted everything to look and the colors before grabbing the needed paints. On my way to check out, I passed a few seemingly random pieces of cloth. Looking around, I remembered how damaged Sabo's hat was and grabbed a few black and blue clothes, a blue elastic strap – the same as the one on his goggles – and even a small sheet of glass and glass paint so I could remake the cracked lens. I added a bottle of fabric glue to my items and quickly bought everything I needed.

I quickly sprinted – I need to come up with a name for what that really is – back to the docks and boarded Striker without so much as a soul seeing me. I made my way back to the ship quickly and made sure nobody saw me come in. I went to the very back of the ship and opened a secret hatch to my workshop. As soon as the Striker was in the small dock I put together, I closed the hatch without a sound and stepped onto the wooden flooring of my workshop.

It wasn't really small but it wasn't large. Even though it used to be three unused and forgotten storage rooms, it wasn't that big. I had a workbench that I made myself – I tried to buy one but nobody had what I needed – along the shortest wall next to the door and on the opposite wall as the hatch and dock that connected to the outside. Next to my workbench was a small pile of wood planks and next to that was a small stack of metal sheets. The rest of the room was a labyrinth as you tried to make your way past all the 'work-in-progress's. There were only six but they weren't small and like I said, the room wasn't big. This was the main reason everything had to be perfectly in place and stacked. I honestly believe I gained some form of OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – simply from making sure this room stayed organized.

I added the wood and metal to their respective piles and placed my new tools and toolbox on the workbench. Keeping the few things I planned on using to fix Sabo's hat in my hands, I walked out of my workshop and closed the door behind me, making sure to lock it. I walked through at least seven doors and six hallways before finally seeing someone. It was Thatch and he was sprinting towards me. I figured he'd go around since it was a wide hallway but I was wrong. He ran straight into me and caused me to drop everything in my hands. Including the glass sheet which instantly broke once coming in contact with the ground. At the sound of breaking glass, Thatch and I both froze and our hearts sank but for different reasons. My heart felt as if it had been drowned in the ocean simply because of the thought that I couldn't repair Sabo's goggles now. Thatch's heart sank because he realized who he just ran into.

It was a well-known fact on the Moby Dick that I sometimes had anger issues and would have no mercy if what brought about the anger was bad enough. If you saw me completely freeze up or just stop moving, then – and this is putting it kindly – you _fucked up_. Luffy and I were alike in this. If his hat covered his eyes completely, then he was serious and _pissed_. If I froze up and just stared at whatever just happened, then there was a good chance you wouldn't make it through the encounter unscathed.

I slowly kneeled to the ground and picked up everything I dropped before picking up the shards of glass one by one. During this grueling amount of time, my black, wavy bangs covered my eyes. I could feel a small sting in them that was slowly becoming familiar today. As I stood again, I slowly rose to my full height which caused me to be just barely shorter than Thatch.

"A-Ace…?" Oh… Thatch… You should have ran while you still could. I moved everything to just my left arm and made sure my bangs still covered my eyes before lighting my right arm on fire. As soon as he saw the first spark, Thatch sprinted the other way, no long afraid of whatever – or whoever – he was originally running from. Down the hall, I could hear him screaming for help, for someone to protect him from "the big scary Ace."

I sighed and extinguished the flame before looking at the broken glass in my hand. I could see bits and pieces of my reflection in each piece and saw my eye in one of the shards. Tears. I quickly wiped away the drops of salty water before they could leave my eyes and walked back to my room with my head down.

Either everyone heard Thatch's cries or they saw that my eyes were covered and there was broken glass in my hand because everyone I passed or got near instantly moved out of the way. Sometimes it was a good thing to be at least somewhat feared within your own crew because when you don't want to be messed with, they know not to do anything even remotely near you.

The first time I looked up was when I was at my door before pushing the secret button on the knob and turning it while successfully unlocking and opening the door. I smiled slightly at the sight of Sabo's hat staring at me from my bed and could almost see Sabo next to it, grinning at me with his missing tooth. The thought made me smile a little more though it was a sad smile. I walked in and closed the door behind me, enjoying the satisfying click of the lock.

I walked over to my desk and placed everything I had in my hand on it. I turned the chair backwards before sitting in it, my legs on either side of the back with my chest pressed to it and my arms crossed over the top. I stared in silence at the broken fragments of glass before sighing and vocally apologizing to Sabo. Glancing out the window, I realized that it was about four thirty, maybe five. Dinner would be in about an hour or two, maybe three. Sighing again, I figured I had an hour and a half to try to piece the broken glass into one sheet and melt them back together. Silently, I grabbed a piece and started to look for any shard that might have the same edge. Well I always wanted a challenge.

After almost two hours, I was finally done and had the biggest headache imaginable. Oh… Thatch was in for it later. Lighting my right index finger on fire, I gently traced the lines of each crack and watched as the glass melted and gently flowed into the cracks, fixing the damages itself. After a slow five minutes, I was walking out of my room again but this time for dinner. I walked into the mess hall and grabbed my food then sat at my table across from Marco and Thatch. Marco still seemed tired – well, more tired than usual – while Thatch looked at everything but me. I sighed and saw him jump a few inches off his chair, causing Marco to glance between the two of us.

After a very quiet dinner between the three of us, I spoke. "It took me two hours to fix that sheet you know." Thatch still stared at his empty plate before looking at me – but not my face – and asking what I was going to do to him. "Nothing." I said, shocking him and even Marco. "You aren't worth it. You don't realize what that was meant for." I stood from the table with my empty plate and sighed. "I'll be in my room if you need me for anything. If not, see you guys in the morning." With that, I put my plate with the stack of dishes waiting to be cleaned next to the kitchen and walked back to my room.

I didn't see anyone for the rest of the night. I simply sat in my room and at my desk as I worked on repairing Sabo's hat. I got the exact length of the elastic strap for the goggles and cut the new strap to the perfect length. I patched up any holes and made it so even the burn marks looked nonexistent. After that, I melted the glass sheet enough so that it would make a copy of the good lens. When it solidified, I simply added enough pressure and heat to shrink it but not enough to break or melt it. Soon enough it was the right size and was able to replace the cracked lens after adding the right amount of color to it. Looking at the hat in total, it looked exactly as it used to, maybe a little newer.

It felt like it was only taking minutes but after looking out the window, it was already after midnight. Dinner was at six thirty, I finished at six forty-five, then got back to my room and started working at seven. Isn't that about four or five hours? How'd it take that long? Weird.

I stretched my arms and back while yawning. In all honesty, I'm surprised my narcolepsy never kicked in. Maybe it did and I didn't realize. That would explain why it took so long to fix up Sabo's hat. Seeing my sketch book out the corner of my eye, I opened it up to a new page and pulled out a pencil. In a few seconds, I started up a quick little sketch of Sabo, Luffy and I when we were kids. It was one of my favorite memories. When the three of us became brothers. I sketched part of the tree trunk we stood around and quickly added us in before adding in our sake cups as they clinked together. The picture was from an outer ground view, like something small was looking up at us. We were smiling our biggest smiles. Luffy's grin stretched from ear to ear. Sabo had his mouth open in a silent cheer which showed his missing tooth. Then there was me. That moment… That was probably my first _real_ smile in all my young life. Being a baby and smiling then didn't count. Babies laugh and smile when they poop their pants sometimes. That day, I smiled with pure joy for the first time since finding out how horrible the world could be.

Without realizing, I had brought out my colored pencils and was already coloring the cups red. I didn't know if I should leave it so only the cups were colored or do it all. My mind was made up when I found myself unconsciously coloring in Luffy and Sabo's hats. Slowly I started to color in their clothes then they're skin tones then anything I missed by accident. Almost instantly I noticed that… I had skipped myself. I filled in everything with the right colors except for myself. I was still black and white… I picked up the next pencil to start me and, for some reason, didn't want to. It was so sudden. I wanted to keep coloring, to keep working on the picture and making improvements to it but I never wanted to fill in myself. I had no clue why.

I sighed before deciding to get some sleep. I stood up and left the picture on the table, though I sat Sabo's hat right next to where he stood in it. I laid in my bed after turning off the light and stared at my desk – or more specifically, what sat on my desk – for a little while. Slowly it seemed as if the moons light from my window was moving closer to my desk. I watched in fascination and curiosity as to how the moonlight was bending as it was. Scientifically, that shouldn't be possible. Light can't bend like such and even if it reflected off the water, it would have a pattern to it and would end up on my ceiling. But somehow it was happening before my very eyes.

I tried to look out the window but couldn't see a thing other than the light. I sat up to get out of bed so I could get a better look but a whisper of my name caught me off guard. I listened carefully but didn't hear it again. I moved again and heard it a little louder. The next time, I didn't stop. I stood fully and walked towards where the echoed whisper was coming from.

Sabo's hat and the picture.

I looked at the picture and saw that it was entirely different. I was now colored, the background was strange, our outfits were different and we all looked the age we would be now. My ten year-old self wasn't in my orange tang top and brown shorts I used to wear, he was instead my current age and in a white dress shirt and light blue pants. Luffy no longer was young nor wore his red tang top or frayed shorts but rather was fifteen and wearing a blue and gray horizontally striped sweater with dark jeans and what looked like a cat's tail stuck out from behind him. Sabo though… He wasn't his ten year-old self. He looked eighteen and had a burn scar covering his left eye. He wasn't in his daily outfit but rather in a suit that a middle class man would wear to a party. Nothing too formal yet nowhere near casual. He still had a black tail coat but it seemed new and seemed to cover his white dress shirt and black vest which were both tucked into his white dress pants which covered the tops of his boots.

What shocked me most was when Sabo's picture looked me in the eye and smirked before reaching up towards where his hat was placed outside the picture. His hand seemed to vanish behind the edge of the paper only to return with a copy of his hat in tow. I watched as he placed his beloved top hat on his head before he grinned at me – his tooth no longer missing – and spoke. My eyes widened at what I heard only for them to quickly shut as a blinding light invaded them. I couldn't even open my eyes before I fell unconscious. The only thing running through my mind was what I heard the picture of Sabo say.

" _Join us, Ace. It's fun here. We're all mad, you'll see…!"_

 **(Hey guyz~! I'm not sure if I can claim this as my return or not but I had to do this. I got the idea a few days ago and just started typing. Three days later – almost four – here it is. Everything in here happened on its own and with no real plan. As I went, the more ideas I got and the more I realized my writers block – which has lasted almost a year – was disappearing. The fact that this is over eight thousand words I guess proves that. I've NEVER written that much in my years as a fanfiction writer. Again, I can't say if I'm back or not because I'm still grounded – have been for two months actually – and I'm extremely lucky that my mom allowed me to use my laptop to write this. If you have anyone to thank for this, it would be my mom. Hope I can update my other stories soon but I'm not sure yet. Fave, follow, review and read my other stuff. Bai~ c(X )**


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